Business Advisory Council

In 2018 the Medina County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) agreed to convene a group of business professionals along with five school districts and the Educational Service Center of Medina County to serve as their Business Advisory Council. Members of the Council volunteered to participate and meet monthly throughout the year. The membership represents the diverse business climate in Medina County including manufacturing, professional services, financial services, construction, and healthcare.

The purpose of the Business Advisory Council (BAC) is to identify skills needed and suggest ways to teach them, advise on the types of jobs available, and create a relationship between our business, labor, and education communities.

In 2021 Medina City Schools joined the BAC and it now represents six school districts and the ESC.

Meetings
The BAC met in March, April, September, November, December, January, and February since our last report.

Plan and Implementation Progress

Own Your Skill
The BAC continued to add to the www.ownyourskill.org website with information for students to identify skills developed through extra-curricular activities and provided posters to all high schools.  The site also offers definitions and information on work experiences to help students feel more confident in their choices. The Career Coach is using this with all of his students as well.

Pre-Apprenticeship Program
In November of 2021, concerns were raised regarding students who cannot pass their end of course year exams. As there are only 11 companies in Medina County offering apprenticeship experiences, the Council recognized the challenges faced in trying to develop a pre-apprenticeship program. MCEDC was able to obtain a grant through ODJFS to fund a pre-apprentice coordinator position who was able to create the pre-apprenticeship program.

The program developed is called the Workforce Academy and soft skills identified by the BAC are being incorporated into the classes to ensure modules meet the needs of business once the student graduates. The BAC is also designing a course called, “Rules of Work” to help students learn expectations when they start their first job.

Each module has been tied to the OhioMeansJobs graduation seal so students will earn both the 12-point industry credential and the OMJ Seal for graduation. The BAC has reviewed the course work and ensured it meets the needs of business.   Members of the BAC have taught classes and presented work opportunities. We anticipate graduating 130 students in 2023.

Scholarships for Workers
The BAC assisted the County Forward Fund in obtaining funding for one scholarship per high school for students who obtain job placements for after graduation. One concern the BAC has discussed is the stigma of not going to college immediately following high school. Having the opportunity to receive a scholarship changes the conversation to show the value placed on getting a position and launching your career. The County Forward Fund awarded six scholarships in 2022 and expect to award at least one per high school, or eight, in 2023.

Career Coach
The BAC also assisted the County Forward Fund on securing the funding to provide a Career Coach to the schools. This individual was hired by MCEDC and is based in the business world. Through a Google calendar, school counselors schedule time for students to discuss jobs and careers.  Students 14-24 years of age are eligible to speak to the coach. When school is not in session, the Career Coach visits with businesses to learn about their career opportunities and goals for workers, networking with business leaders, and building his knowledge of the Medina County business community. To date he has met with over 1,800 students in 8 school districts.

Made in Medina County
To celebrate Manufacturing Day October 7, 65 students toured manufacturing plants around the county. Generally students who take a pre and post assessment are 83% more likely to go into manufacturing after a tour than before.

Career Education Events
Two areas identified by the business community as needing students to understand careers better were Healthcare and Engineering. To address this the BAC held three Engineering Expos where engineers were available to talk to students about the different careers available in their field. The events were held at night so parents could attend as well. In the three schools we had over 200 students and parents attend.

We also held a similar event at two high schools regarding healthcare. Around 100 students and parents came out to hear directly from healthcare providers what kinds of careers are available that directly deal with patients and those that do not.

In addition, there were four high schools that hosted career days.

 
Black River High School – All high school students participated in a career fair and presentations on soft skills provided by business leaders in the community. The day-long event involved over 400 students and 70 business leaders.

Buckeye High School – the entire school attended a career fair and soft skills trainings provided by business leaders in the community. The day-long event involved over 600 students and 100 businesses.

Cloverleaf High School – seniors attended a career fair, participated in mock interviews with company leaders, hear from military recruiters, and participate in a college fair. Over 100 seniors participated and 60 business leaders.

Medina County Career Center – A career and summer job fair provided Career Center juniors and seniors the opportunity to meet with companies and discuss career as well as summer / intern opportunities. 60 companies met with over 1,000 students.

Teacher Tours
Businesses participating in the BAC were concerned that the biggest influence on students are teachers and teachers aren’t generally familiar with the types of work available. They focused first on manufacturing as that is the most unknown to most people. Three schools participated in teachers visiting manufacturing plants on testing days to see the breadth and depth of available jobs and understand first-hand what these jobs are like.